


Got Your Back

by PoemAboutCitylights



Category: Formula 1 RPF, Sports RPF
Genre: Emotional pain, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Toxic!Jos, some fluff if you squint your eyes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-11
Updated: 2018-06-11
Packaged: 2019-05-21 03:44:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,629
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14907683
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PoemAboutCitylights/pseuds/PoemAboutCitylights
Summary: "If Dan had put off his headphones just a second later, he wouldn't have heard the stifled sobs that reached his ears while he was walking down the corridor to his motorhome."*The team makes the decision that it's better for everyone to not have Jos Verstappen in their box.





	Got Your Back

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so you've all heard how Jos wasn't at the race in Canada and how Christian said that they wanted to try new things and how all of this is basically just a confirmation that Max is better off without Jos?
> 
> This is my shot at it. I hope you like it.

If Dan had put off his headphones just a second later, he wouldn't have heard the stifled sobs that reached his ears while he was walking down the corridor to his motorhome.  
He was quite happy with the result of the race, holding back Lewis had been a challenge, especially with the tires, which meant that he was rather proud of himself.  
In addition to that, it had been a fantastic weekend for the team, with Max scoring a podium after all the drop outs of the previous months.  
They would definitely have something to celebrate later on.

So when he strolled through the back of the garage, hearing the muffled noises that were coming from Max's motorhome, Dan froze on his spot, frowning at the door.  
The young Dutch had no reason to be upset, had he?  
The Australian had caught his team mate crying a few times before, but usually after fucked up races and today certainly wasn't one of those.  
He considered just ignoring it, giving Max some time for himself, but he wouldn't let himself do it, so Dan took a deep breath and knocked at the other driver's door, gentle at first but determined once he didn't get an answer.  
"Max?" he called, leaning his cheek against the door to hear better.  
"Maxy, you okay?"

But the Dutch didn't answer, instead the sobbing stopped abruptly, followed by a sharp intake of oxygen that indicated that Max was trying to hold his breath in order to make no sound.  
"Max!" Dan tried again, genuinely worried this time.  
"Max, I'll come in now, you okay with that?"

Still not getting a reply, Daniel took that as a yes and pushed down the knob, carefully opening up the door until he could glance inside, sliding in a foot to prevent the door from falling shut.  
"Max?" he asked, right before he spotted the young Dutch sitting in front of his couch, his legs pulled in, arms tightly wrapped around his knees.  
Dan's insides knotted up.

His team mate was rocking back and forth in a comforting, almost childlike motion, while silent tears were streaming down his face, escaping his closed eyelids.  
"Max!"  
Daniel closed the door in a hurry and stepped inside, kneeling down in front of the other driver, who didn't open his eyes but kept on rocking back and forth.  
His whole body was shaken by the sobs he was suppressing and when the Australian reached out a hesitant hand, placing it on Max's shoulder, the sobbing noise dropped from his lips once again.  
A sound so pained that it pretty well tore Daniel's insides apart while his heart was beating in his throat, worry washing over him.

What had happened? Shouldn't Max be celebrating with the team?  
"Shh," Dan whispered, his hand instinctively drawing soothing circles on Max's back, stroking over his dark fireproofs, "I'm here, it's all good."

What was he supposed to do?  
Get Christian? Or Max's mental coach?

Dan had never seen Max like this before.  
Sure, from time to time the Dutch could be quite emotional, angry, _sad_ , but never like this, never this _broken_.  
Something in Daniel's chest tightened.

He felt a wave of relief when Max's sobs slowed down, turning into panic whimpers.  
However, Dan's heartbeat picked up speed once again when he realized that the other driver was close to hyperventilating, his breath coming way too fast, fingers clenched around his knees.  
And then Max's lids flew open and the younger one stared at him with wide, red eyes while he was gasping for air, way too much oxygen filling his lungs while Max had to feel like he couldn't breathe properly at all.

And Dan was panicking as well, because he wasn't a damn medic, hell, he had even slept through the last first aid seminar and Max was suffering right in front of him.  
He should get someone, he definitely should, but then again there was no way in hell that he'd let Max alone right now, not with how he was still panting, desperately trying to breathe whilst his tears were mixing up with sweat and saliva.

So Dan acted more by instinct than anything else when he edged closer to the Dutch, until their bodies were almost touching, reaching for the younger one's arm.  
He placed Max's hand on his own chest, resting his hand on top.  
"You feel that? Feel me breathing?"  
He inhaled deeply, feeling Max's hand against his chest that rose with his rib cage when the oxygen filled his lungs.  
He exhaled.  
"Try to concentrate on that, okay?"  
He inhaled once again, gaze fixed on Max's, who's breath was still too freaking fast.  
"Breathe with me, Maxy."  
He exhaled slowly.  
"Just like that... In... Out... In..." he felt Max's hand twitch against his chest, "out..."  
Max watched him closely, his eyes never leaving the Australian's face until their breathing had finally synchronized.

They stayed in silence for another couple of minutes, Max's hand still on Dan's chest, Dan's one hand on top on the Dutch's, the other on his shoulder blade.  
When Dan eventually asked the question, Max's head fell forward, onto his knees.  
"What has happened?"

The tears still hadn't stopped from falling and Max's breathing quickened at the question, his fingers curling around the fabric of Dan's own fireproofs.  
"You don't have to talk about it," Dan said, his voice low as if he was speaking to a hurt animal, "but it could help, you know."  
"Does it?" Max asked, a little sarcastically, looking at the Australian again.  
His body was still shaken now and then from having cried for so long and the younger one brought up his free hand to wipe the tears from his eyes.  
"I bet it does," Dan replied, searching Max's red and wet face for answers.

The Dutch looked at him for a long time before his gaze dropped to the floor.  
"It's... It's my first race without dad. Ever," he managed to croak out and Dan's stomach dropped, as always when it came to Jos Verstappen, that man that everyone from Red Bull had cursed a billion times.  
Despite the fire that was lit in the Australian's stomach just by the mention of Max's dad, he didn't say anything and waited for his team mate to continue.  
"Christian and I... We wanted to try something new, right? To give me confidence."

That wasn't true, for Dan knew exactly why Christian had talked Max into spending a race weekend without his dad.  
Everyone knew, except for the young Dutch.  
Jos Verstappen was poison. Toxic.  
Had always been and would always be.

When Daniel had first met him, he hadn't been able to believe the stories of how he the older driver hadn't talked to his son, back then still a child, simply because he had crashed a kart.  
That was, until Max had swapped with Daniil and Jos had started occupying the RedBull box each and every weekend, keeping such a close look on his son that it scared the hell out of Dan, out of everyone, especially the way Max ducked his head each time he stepped into the garage after a crash, not daring to meet his dad's eyes.

 _NO ONE_ , not even Max's dad, should be allowed to say these things to the younger one, to make him so scared of failing and making mistakes, naturally only leading to more mistakes and panic.  
And Max had been driven by panic lately, by that stubborn idea that he would have to make his dad proud, that he would have to drive a good race just ONE MORE TIME until his dad would finally be satisfied.  
But that wouldn't happen. Never.  
Jos Verstappen simply wasn't the guy.

"You miss him?" Dan asked with a dry throat, praying that Max wouldn't spot the fury in his eyes.  
Max looked at him, tears still welling up in his eyes and then he let himself fall forward, right into Daniel's arms where he buried his face in the crook of the Australian's neck, his finger curling tighter around Dan's shirt.  
The older driver was more than surprised by the action, for he had never been this close to his teammate before, but the feeling wasn't unpleasant. Far from it, actually.

When Max sobbed against his neck, his tears wetting Daniel's skin, the Aussie brought up a hand to the back of the Dutch's and ran his fingers through his hair in what he hoped to be a comforting gesture.

"No," Max breathed against his skin, "I-I thought I'd miss him, Dan. But I don't. I... I... I feel..."  
He brought some distance between them again but their chests were still pressed together, Max safely wrapped up in Daniel's arms.  
"Free," Dan stated, holding the younger one's gaze.  
"Free..." Max repeated, his voice as low as a whisper, eyes dropping.  
Just seconds later, his gaze shot up again, panic flashing across his face.  
"I shouldn't... He's my dad... He does everything for me... He has the right to-..."  
"Shh," Dan cut him of by making a soothing sound, pulling him in once agin until Max's cheek was leaning against the Aussie's shoulder, the older one's finger still running through his hair.  
"It's all fine, Maxy."  
"When I was out on the track, for the first time, in ages, I... I could just... drive. For myself."  
Max's voice was shaking and broken around the edges, soft words slurred against Daniel's skin.  
The Australian closed his eyes, "You're not alone, Max. Everyone's got your back. If you don't want him to come back, then he won't."  
He looked down on the Dutch.  
Max slid an arm around Daniel's waist.  
"I've got your back."  
_Always_.

 

**The end.**

 

**Author's Note:**

> So...l like I said in the notes above...  
> I believe that Max is better off without Jos.  
> This has been his best result in AGES and I truly belief that it has to do with the fact that Jos wasn't there.  
> And the things Christian said?  
> Sounds like they all know it, too.
> 
> What's your opinion on Jos?
> 
> If you liked this, please leafe a kudos/comment. It would make my day! :)
> 
> Johanna


End file.
